And the battery pack in an EV Hummer weighs as much as a Nissan Sentra

No argument there but it should have a positive knock-on effect for SEPTA at least

Ehh she didn’t have a hand in the decision to hog out at the trough of one-time federal covid money and they’re going to have to work with her for six more years

This one is a 15/10 from a "tax what you want to see less of" perspective

The Advent of Fare-Gate Society Some cities are realizing that the only way to provide high-quality public services is through designs that keep disorder out.

"Crime on BART fell by 41 percent last year."

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Like the sound of this but surprised that Bill didn’t include more analysis on how it would impact the average Philly small business’s tax burden in year one

and concrete-protected bike lanes as far as the eye can see

As Philadelphia pours millions into homelessness response, a flagship shelter faces an uncertain future The city’s lease of the building, which it has held for 50 years, expires in June, and it’s unclear if a new deal will be inked. Land-use issues are complicating matters.

I’m sorry but how does the end of a FIFTY year lease sneak up on you?

www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...

Close the bridges

Shoutout to the mayor this is great

Center City Retail Occupancy Reaches Two-Year High Center City District (CCD) today released findings from its spring survey of retail storefronts across Center City, showing that overall retail occupancy within CCD's boundaries has climbed to 84.2%, ...

Nice work @centercityphila.org

centercityphila.org/pressroom/ce...

One thing I’ve learned from following Philly politics for the last decade and a half is that no matter how petty something seems on the surface, the real story is almost always exponentially pettier

Philly City Council advances $35M line of credit as the city tries to the lure the DNC back Chief Deputy Mayor Vanessa Garrett Harley told Philadlephia City Council Wednesday that the city has "full confidence" in the host committee's fundraising abilities.

Taxpayer-funded clout chasing

To not even be a little proactive and fast-track the LIFT/Driscoll proposal shows a complete lack of concern and understanding from the administration

Maybe but even in the worst case scenario they could’ve tied it up in the courts for a year or two to buy time to legislate a fix. Last year’s BIRT “cut” was only worth $9mm and folding on the first $100K exemption brought in $30mm in new revenue last year alone.

Vendors, gig workers, and therapists push back on Philadelphia’s ‘very unfriendly’ business tax One therapist's BIRT increased to more than $5,700 this year. "It exorbitantly affects my business," she said.

www.inquirer.com/business/bir...

One out-of-state business challenged the first $100K of revenue BIRT exemption in court, the administration threw up their hands and threw small businesses under the bus, and now we're going to lose a bunch of therapists and FDR park vendors because their city tax burden is insane.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Saved From Closure by Nonprofit

thank god www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/b...

After garage collapse, CHOP should abandon the Grays Ferry project | Editorial

“The seven-level structure, meant to relieve parking pressure for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia workers, was widely seen as an imposition on the Grays Ferry neighborhood,” writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.

The Red Bridge, a swing bridge over the Schuylkill River, in closed position (trail connected, no tall boats can pass under) for the first time. The trail and city are about to be connected by bike & walk directly to the iconic Bartrams Garden.

Attention: the bridge is CLOSED (complimentary)

Surprised they didn’t name drop Alma de Cuba

Photo of wide sidewalk & bike path under construction, Washington Ave, Philadelphia.

Screenshot of asst engineer showing off the new swing bridge over the Schuylkill River, Philadelphia

Today I passed the nearly-complete Washington Ave connector. Grade-separated bike & walking path. Benches, planters, blossoming trees.

Also saw a vid of the new bike/ped swing bridge swinging!

It's almost like Philly CAN have nice things. We just need to do this systematically and 25x faster.

They need to hire at least one Philadelphian

The Best 10 US Cities for Food and Drink in 2026 The 2026 Food & Wine Global Tastemakers Awards recognize the best in culinary travel, including the best U.S. cities for food and drink. Here's where to travel for food this year, from New York to Mia...

I get NOLA and NYC ranking higher than us but Chicago and Houston? Let’s be serious

www.foodandwine.com/top-united-s...

That too!

Are the ambitious folks you have in mind really going to be put off by a rule with potential negative externalities that won’t manifest for years? I’m struggling to picture the mindset of someone who’s simultaneously super ambitious and also lacking in confidence about future success

There’s a much higher risk of an embarrassing loss when running against an incumbent district councilperson compared to running for an at-large seat.

I’m no expert in elections law but I thought Dallas, Miami, and Phoenix all have similar rules.

To your second point, agree that council is ineffective for the bluesky demo. But based on how seldom incumbent coucilpeople get unseated, the median philly voter sees things differently.

Same here! I just don’t think the existence of resign to run is stopping anyone from throwing their hat in the ring. I’d bet the burden of constant fundraising and the potential embarrassment from losing are much bigger influencers on this decisionmaking process.